Ash-sifter attachment for fire grates



1 646 941 1927' L. s. TENENBAUM ASH SIFTER ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE GRATESFiled Dec. 8, 1926 2 sheets-Sheet 1 5 5. Enenba um (inmm i... S.TENENBAUM ASH SIFTER ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE GRATES Filed Dec. 8, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 1wc.nlfcv. Louis 5.Tenembaum Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

LOUIS S. TENENBAUIVI, GI RGCIEESDER, NEVF YORK.

ASI-I-SIFTER ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE GRA'IES.

The object of this invention is to provide an attachment for fire gratesby means of which the ashes from the fire box are automatically sittedwhile the grate is being shaken to clean the fire.

This and other objects 0t this invention will be tully illustrated inthe drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a series otgrate bars with the ashsitter suspended underneath it and attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the section of gratebars and the ash sitter suspended underneath it and connected thereto.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a series of grate bars showing amodified form of connection between the grate bars and the ash sitter.

Figure 4 is a perspective view ot a moditied form of the ash sitter.

Figure 5 illustrates a modified locking bar for locking and unlockingthe trap door in the bottom of the wire basket.

In the figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate likeparts.

In order to burn coal economically it is necessary to separate from theashes the unburned pieces of coal that pass through the grate with theashes. For this reason separate ash sitters are universally used throughwhich the ashes taken from the grate are passed before they are finallythrown away. In these ash sitters the particles ot unburned coal areseparated from the ashes proper so that the ashes can be thrown away andthe coal used over again in the turnace or boiler. In the use of theseash sitters it is necessary to handle the ashes twice that is the'ashesare shaken through the grate and dropped intothe ash box from which theymust be shoveled into the ash sitter and sitted. After this is done theashes and coal must be separately shoveled from the separator anddisposed of a second time.

The invention forming the subject matter of my present inventioncomprises an ash sitter that is directly attached to the grate bars andsuitably connected thereto so that on the operation of these bars forthe purpose ot cleaning the fire the particles of: unburned coal areseparated from the ashes be- Serial No. 153,275.

tore the ashes have dropped into the ash 30X.

As illustrated in the figures of the drawand back from the grate bars 2,2. F or this purpose suitable hooks 2-3, 3 are provided both at thefront and back of the basket 1 which hooks are adapted to engage aroundthe cylindrical portion of the grate bars so as to freely suspend thebasket underneath them. To operate the ash sitter torntied by the basket1 the swinging bar 4: is provided. This bar is suspended centrally otthe basket 1 near the rront thereof and its lower end extends through aslot 5 in the bottom of the basket 1.

The upper end of the swinging or rocking bar a has the links 6 and 7pivotally attached thereto by means of which the bar is rocked as willpresently appear. The outer ends ot the links 6 and 7 partially encirclethe cylindrical portion ot a grate bar and are supplemented by a strap 8that is suitably hinged thereon and is adapted to encircle the remainderof the grate bar which is then clamped to the link by a suitable lockingbolt 9. A set screw 10 which is threaded into the strap 8 is thentightened against the grate bar in order to firmly lock the end of thelink to the bar to make it swing on the rocking ot the grate bar.

. The rocking or swinging bar t is thus sus pended between two gratebars and on the rocking of either one ot them the link attaehed'theretowill rock the rocking bar in unison with it and transmit to the basketan oscillating motion which reciprocatesthe basket sideways. As theashes drop through the grate bars into the basket they are shaken withinthe basket and are sifted as soon as they reach the basket. On shakingthe basket the fine ashes drop through the wire mesh ot the basket whilethe larger lumps ot unburned coal ren'iain in the basket and accumulatetherein. In this way the tine ashes are quickly separated from theunburned pieces 0t coal every time the grate is operated. The ashes thusdeposited in the bottom of the ash bozr have theretore no further valueand when shoveled out are ready to be put into the ash can. The coalwithin the basket on. the other hand may be ted back into the the box."For this purpose the bottom of the basket is provided V V with a trapdoor 19 that is hinged at the rear of the basket on the inside.

The front of the trap door is provided with a hook 520 which is suitablyhinged thereon so that it can be moved into or out of engagement withthe upper edge of the basket 1. When engaging the basket as illustratedin Figures 1 and 2 the trap door 19 is held closed by the hook 20 sothat the ashesthat accumulate therein are sifted as the basket isoscillated. When it is desired to remove the coal accumulated within thebasket, the trap door is released by unhooking the hook 20 which allowsthe trapdoor to drop down into the dotted line position illustrated inFigures 1 and 2." The coal accumulated' in the basket the r slides outthrough the trap door and onto a shovel that may be placed under thebasket 1 before the trap door is rele'asedf The basket 1 is mountedbelow the grates so that it can be readily and bodily detached from themif so desired, in which case the coal accumulated therein may be takenout from below thegrates in the basket and the basket emptied onto theshovel or into a suitable receptacle. After the basket is emptied it isagain put in place underneath the grates.

In order to prevent the coal from dropping off on the-sides of the doora series of chains 21 and 22 is provided on each side of the door andconnected to either the bottom orv top of the basket so that when thedoor is opened these chains form a flexible partition between the doorand the basket that prevents any coalfrom dropping off the sides of thedoor.

Instead'of using chains 21 and 22 the trap door may be made asillustrated in Figure 4: in which triangular sides 23 and 24: are

'formed integral with the :door which move bars by means of suitablelinks it is attached directly to the grate barthat is oscillated; Inthis way the basket 1 is operated on the operation of the one grate bar.Y

In Figure 5 I have shown a modified form of the locking bar 25 for.locking the trap door in place in the bottom of the basket. This lockingbar 25 may be used in place of the hook 20 and is swiveled at the bottomof the basket at the front end thereof. 7 By turning this bar the endthereof may be either withdrawn from under the door to allow the door todrop d-own for the purpose of emptying the basket or the end of the barmay be turned-to engage under the door after the basket is emptied andhold the door in place'in the bottom of the basket to allow morecoal toaccumulate therein.

I claim:

1. In an ash sifter attachment for fire grates, the combination of awire basket, means for freely suspending said wire basket below a seriesof grate bars a rocking bar, suspended from one of said grate bars andslidably engaging said basket, so as to shake said basket on the shakingofthe grate bar. r p V 2. In an ash sifter attachment for fire grates,the combination of a wire basket, hook members supporting the front andback of said basket below-a series of grate bars, a rocking bar, a pairof links pivotally connected to the top of said rocking bar andprojecting to either side thereof, eachof said links'being fastened to agrate bar, the lower end of said rocking bar engaging said basket toshakesaid basket on'the shaking of either one or the other of the gratebars having one of said links fastened thereto.

3. In an ash sifter attachment for fire grates, the combination of awire basket, hook members for freely suspending said wire basket fromthe grate bars of said fire grate, means for horizontallyreciprocatingsaid wire basket on the oscillation of one of said grate bars, a trapdoor hinged inrthe bottom of said wirebasket, and means for locking. andunlocking said trap door in the bottom of said wire basket.

4. In an ash sifter attachment for v fire grates, the combination of awire basket, hook members for freely suspending said wire basket fromthe grate bars offsaid fire grate, a trap door hingedin the bottom ofsaid wire basket, means for lockingand'unlocking said trap door in thebottom of said Wire basket, and means provided on the sides of said trapdoor to prevent particles of coal from droppingoff from the sides of thetrap door on the release of said trap door.

'5. In an 'ash sifter attachment for fire grates, the combination of awire basket,

freelysWinging hook members at the front and back of saidbasketadaptedto pivotally'engage the gratebars with one end and the wirebasket at the other end to'xfreely' suspend said basket from a series ofgrate 'bars, said basket" having a hole therein, a

rocking bar adapted to be attached to one of the grate bars and having asliding'en gagenient with the hole in said wire basket,

basket on the oscillation of the-grate bar, a

door pivoted in the bot-tonrof' said basket and sides provided on saiddoor to connectthe door with the bottom of the basket when the dooris'opened.

In testimonywherof I affix mysignature,

' r LOUIS S. TENENBAUM. 5

[said rocking bar reciprocating said wire 7,

